WMU to join Park Trades community of artists

Feb. 18, 2008

KALAMAZOO--As many as 15 faculty members in Western Michigan
University's Frostic School of Art will soon join a growing community
of artists with studio space in Kalamazoo's Park Trades Center,
located near WMU in the city's downtown district.

Acting at the its Feb. 15 meeting, the WMU Board of Trustees
approved a lease agreement that will mean WMU art faculty will
occupy up to 10,000 square feet in the facility for up to five
years at an annual cost of $50,000. Leased space in the building,
which is located at the corner of Parsons and Kalamazoo streets,
will accommodate up to 15 studios. As part of a special grant
program, Downtown Kalamazoo Inc. will assist in covering some
of the building renovation costs to make the space suitable for
studio use.

"This is an opportunity to support the productivity of
our studio art faculty and to collaborate more closely and in
alignment with the local arts community and Kalamazoo's downtown
development," says Dr. James Hopfensperger, acting dean
of the College of Fine Arts. "This is wonderful space in
an existing community of artists and artisans. These will be
designed lofts that will offer our faculty the flexibility to
produce new creative work that leads to the kind of professional
recognition we expect them to achieve."

Hopfensperger says the space has high ceilings, natural light
and wood floors and will be configured into studios ranging from
500 to 800 square feet. Faculty members could move from their
existing studios in WMU's East Hall, which are being closed,
to the Park Trades location as early as March.

Hopfensperger notes that, while the studios will be for faculty
members, studio visits are a common practice for mentored art
students, and he expects students to enjoy the kind of creative
synergy the initiative will generate.

"This is a wonderful show of support from the president,
provost and business office for our faculty and students,"
he says. "And the contribution of DKI shows the community's
continued support for the Kalamazoo arts community."

WMU's Frostic School of Art is part of the College of Fine
Arts and accredited by the National Association of Schools of
Art and Design. The school has 21 full-time and 18 part-time
faculty members as well as nine professional staff members who
serve 2,500 University students, including 450 art majors. The
Frostic School of Art offers degrees in art, art education, graphic
design, and art history. Its areas of concentration include ceramics,
metals/jewelry, painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture
and graphic design.